Extensive infrastructure

Occupying a strategic location, the Netherlands is perfectly positioned to serve the pan-European market. It lies between major sea and airports on the one hand and major commercial and industrial centers in Europe (France, Germany, the UK) on the other. Moreover, the country offers a favorable tax environment for foreign companies, an internationally oriented business community, and a flexible, productive, and highly educated labor force. But the decisive factor in making the Netherlands so popular as a site for European supply chain transport and warehousing activities is its extensive infrastructure.

Port of Rotterdam
The Port of Rotterdam is the third largest port in the world in terms of total tonnage. It handles over 350 million tons of cargo each year, and in total 30,000 ships from all over the world arrive there each year. It is a logistics center where multinational companies can serve their European markets from a central northwest European point. This is illustrated by Rotterdam’s status as the leading container port in Europe, with 9.7 million TEU in 2006.

The Port of Rotterdam, which has no locks, is situated directly on the North Sea. The very largest ocean-going vessels have unrestricted access around the clock, seven days a week, to a harbor with a depth of 24 meters (75 feet). The many maritime service providers guarantee rapid turnaround times. Due to the size of the operations, the Port offers significant advantages of scale.

Port of Amsterdam
The Port of Amsterdam ranks Number 4 in Europe in terms of total transshipment tonnage (about 80 million tons) and is the largest in the world for industries like oil products (gasoline, etc.) and cacao. In agribulk, it is Europe’s largest; in coal, it is Europe’s second after Rotterdam. Specialized maritime service providers facilitate the cargo handling from port to final destination. Amsterdam’s airport and seaport taken together make for Europe’s largest combination of its kind.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol ranks #3
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Europe’s number-three cargo airport, is connected by an extensive network of roads, highways, railways, and waterways to all locations within the Netherlands, as well as to all major European cities and transportation hubs. Its reputation as a top-ranking air cargo center is derived from its excellent cargo links with more than 100 European routes and with all the main US and Far East destinations.

Fast connections to the hinterland
Besides being a major point of entry into the European market, the Netherlands offers fast and reliable connections to the rest of Europe via road, rail, water, and pipeline, enabling any international company to design and implement its optimal supply chain solution for this market.

The Netherlands has an extensive, modern, and well-maintained road and highway system that integrates seamlessly into the European highway network. And with around 12,000 transportation companies, ranging from very small, one-truck operations to large international players, there is an ample supply of services. For containers and bulky goods shipped in large volumes, trains offer a cost-effective and fast transportation solution, as the Dutch railways are linked to all major European networks. In addition, a brand new railroad dedicated to freight transport, called the Betuweroute, was recently opened between the Port of Rotterdam and the German Ruhr area, providing uninterrupted and even faster connections than ever before. 

With its many rivers and canals, Holland presents another excellent option for transporting goods. Not only is water the most environmentally friendly transportation solution, it also represents a very cost-effective arrangement for products for which speed of delivery is not that essential. For goods bound for places in southern Europe, such as Portugal, Spain, and Italy, short sea transportation accounts for a good share of cargo. The Dutch waterways network also links up perfectly with the European network for barge transportation, connecting all main destinations across the whole of north-western Europe. In fact, the Netherlands, favorably situated at the mouth of the Rhine, is most often the point of departure or the final destination for international inland shipping transportation.

 Transportation infrastructure in the Netherlands: key facts

• Roads: 134,981 km, of which 3,267 km highways. There are almost no toll roads, and the speed limit is 120 km/hour on the highways.
• Railways: 2,797 km, of which more than two-thirds is electrified.
• Waterways: 6,211 km, of which over 75% are canals.
• Pipelines: about 16,500 km.
• Seaports: there are 15 seaports in the Netherlands with regular international connections. The most important are Rotterdam (369 million tons of transshipments), Amsterdam (85 million tons), Vlissingen/Terneuzen, Moerdijk, Delfzijl.
• Airports: four international airports: Schiphol, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, and Maastricht, and a network of smaller private airports (about 25).
• Airfreight: 70+ air freight companies serving Europe and the world.
• Air carriers: 28+ majors include KLM, American, Continental, Delta.
• Road hauliers: around 12,000, of which 500 provide logistics services.

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